Publication Date: Wednesday, January 05, 2005
Radiation from fake tree concerns neighbors
Radiation from fake tree concerns neighbors
(January 05, 2005) Cell-phone tower, disguised as tree, proposed for Barron Park
by Jocelyn Dong
In Barron Park, where leafy trees are part and parcel of the neighborhood's rural character, some residents are wondering whether a 40-foot tree could be hazardous to public health.
It's not just any tree raising eyebrows, of course -- it's not even real. The proposed fake tree would house three telecommunications antennae, which would receive and transmit radio signals, boosting reception for cell-phone customers in the area.
According to Amy French, the city's Current Planning Manager, the "magnolia-esque" tree would be constructed in the parking lot of Blockbuster Video at 3990 El Camino Real, at Los Robles Avenue.
In December, the city's Planning Department approved a conditional use permit for the cell-tower tree. However, a neighbor in the area has asked that the issue be given a public hearing.
"The main concern I have is I don't understand the health impact" of cell-phone towers, said Edward Jones. "There are these towers everywhere, and you wonder if anyone's looked at the cancer rates (among residents near the towers). That information should be available."
There are 16 phone towers already installed throughout Palo Alto.
The potential radiation dangers have been researched and debated by public health experts throughout the country. Web sites devoted to exposing the alleged dangers indicate that brain cancer, memory impairment and neurological problems can occur with radiofrequency exposure.
The company shepherding the project through city processes, the Alaris Group of San Francisco, hired a Benecia-based engineering and construction company -- Diamond Services -- to review the expected radiation levels and provide a professional opinion. The engineer indicated the project fell within the FCC's current prevailing standards for limiting human exposure to radiofrequency energy.
Jones, who has an education in electrical engineering, said he would be interested in reviewing the research. Aside from the data on radiation, he also expressed concern over the city's process of installing towers and notifying neighbors.
"I'm a bit surprised. You get a letter, and you have 14 days to respond to having something put right next to your house that you have no control over. The tower will be upgraded continuously to expand to new technologies and new kinds of radio transmissions characteristics. And people won't even know about it," Jones said.
This is not the first time that cell-phone towers have raised concerns in Palo Alto. In 1998, Pacific Bell requested to place the antenna on the Crossroads Community Church on Middlefield Road, which stirred considerable public opposition among Midtown neighbors.
At 40 feet, the cell-phone tree would stand taller than other foliage in the immediate area. Nearby trees, bare-branched during the winter, are between 13 feet and 33 feet tall, according to city documents. The antennae would be leased from the Blockbuster store owners to a service provider, tentatively Cingular Wireless.
French said that "at least three or four" towers in Palo Alto are disguised as trees, including one at Fire Station No. 2 on Hanover Street. They are typically modeled after evergreen or redwood trees. The Blockbuster tree would be the city's first broadleaf-style cell tower.
The tree is tentatively scheduled to be reviewed by the Planning and Transportation Commission on Jan. 26.
Senior Staff Writer Jocelyn Dong can be reached at jdong@paweekly.com.
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